On the morning of June 28, 2004, first responders in Virginia Beach found a Newcombe Road home burning and a brutal scene inside. Seven-year-old Jonathan Vetrano and his 29-year-old mother, Lois Schmidt, had been killed by gunshot wounds. An adult male, identified as Schmidt’s brother, was found gravely wounded by gunfire in the front yard. Two family dogs were also shot, one fatally. The perpetrator had attempted to destroy evidence by setting the house on fire.

After years as a cold case, two arrests were announced in June 2018. Richard Stoner was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, and Christopher Schmidt, Lois Schmidt’s husband, was also arrested and charged. Stoner later confessed that the killings were part of a murder-for-hire plot and pleaded guilty as part of an agreement to testify. That plea was withdrawn after changes in capital punishment law affected the original deal, and charges against Christopher Schmidt were dropped in September 2021. In February 2023 Stoner again pleaded guilty and was sentenced in May 2023 to multiple life terms for the murders, the malicious wounding, and the killing of a dog.

Anyone who knew Jonathan, Lois, or the family, or who has information that was not previously shared with investigators, is encouraged to come forward.